Location: Misery... Uh, I mean Missouri... Moving to Germany in December '05

Posts: 73

Crap... Maybe I am just NOT a runner... :(

I want to be a runner BADLY! I envy runners (like my husband).

I want to feel the pavement pounding underneath my swift feet... The problem is that my leg bones do not share my desires. WHY? Booo-hooo!

Here is the deal-- I have tried to start running many times, but it ALWAYS ends in shin splints and sore legs. Usually, I can get through a couple of weeks of a program before the pain sets in. I have tried a program like the couch to 5K that took it slow and steady, but the shin pain showed up to ruin my stride. After a LOOOONG time (several months) of no running, I tried it again today. I felt a new pain that I have never felt before... Instead of pain on the insides of the bottom of my legs, I felt pain directly at the front bottom parts of my legs, from below my knee to above my ankle. It felt like my front leg bone was going to crack. Grrrrrr. BTW- I only ran for 1 minute when the pain set in. I cooled it down to a walk and then tried another minute a few minutes after, but the same pain was there. Okay... The worst part... All of this running was not even running! It was a light jog/fast walk for most people- 4 mph.

Do I have to accept the fact that I just may not be a runner? Is it possible or likely that once I shed some pounds, my legs will be able to handle the stress of running?

I'd say, first of all, check with your doctor to make sure your legs don't have any problems before you try to start running again. Second, slow down! There's no shame in jogging slower than 4 mph. If something hurts, stop, and stretch. Maybe stuff like couch to 5k is just too fast-paced (I know people say it is slow-paced, but I thought it was too much for me starting off).

Anyway, I'm no expert, and I don't know what the pain you had might be, so my biggest recommendation is to ask your doctor. My mom has unexplained pain in her ankle when she started trying to jog, and it turned out she had torn her achilles tendon months earlier and it hadn't healed properly, so her doctor recommended she stick to walking.

Candy: I can relate to your post. I can power walk at 4.5 to 5 mph, but I just can't jog -- even at slower speeds. Running is simply too hard on my knees and I simply can't relax when I run -- I tense up for some reason. But power-walking definitely burns calories like jogging and running.

Do you have good running shoes? You need both good support and good cushioning. After walking fast or trying to job for a few minutes, do you stop to stretch? It's best to stretch after you've warmed up for a few minutes.

I'm so jealous of runners too!! I used to get really extremely bad shin splints the first time I attempted to jog. My shins would burn and the bottoms of my feet would cramp up until I almost cried. I figured I wasn't a runner and stopped for a few years.
However, now that I feel I've half-way "mastered" the bike, elliptical and other cardio machines at the gym I've decided to give jogging a try.
Things have gone pretty well so far and every mile I run feels a little bit better than the last. I try to run for x amount of minutes at a time instead of speed (starting at 10 and then working my way up 1minute every week.) My knees, hips, and shins ache a little but I give myself a day or two (or three..) to let my joints rest. Also, I've found that warming up and stretching before I attempt to jog helps with my shin splints. After I jog, I stretch again.
If the pain persists, you should definately get a doctor to check you out. Don't give up!

I have tried to start running many times, but it ALWAYS ends in shin splints and sore legs.

Try out some other shoes. I tried several pair before I came up with a style that cushioned the impact enough for me to keep from getting shin splints. The ones I ended up were an extra wide width Saucony with heel stabilizers that were narrow at the heel but wide at the toes. I have weird feet.

As for those with knee pain, I have to wear a general knee support that you can get from any drug store/pharmacy when I run. It decreases the impact on my knees and they don't bother me from running as long as I wear those every time.

You may or may not be too heavy to run, I agree there are some heavy runners out there and you can be one of them.... Here is my overview of your situation... Are you wearing a good pair of running shoes for your feet? If not this could be a problem you could be over pronating or under pronating and you don't have the right type of shoe.... and this could screw up your chins, your ankles, your knees, your hips, if everything is not inline....

Bottom line is start with good shoes, stretch, start very slow, lose weight....

I definitely recommend taking glucosamine my husband and I swear by it and I have recommended it to several people and they always came back and said that it worked for them... I also take calcium/magnesium sups. for bones.

I also want to add , I would recommend that you weight train and work your leg muscles to strengthen your quadricep and your hamstring muscles so that your muscles are helping you along with your running.

Hope this helps... Let us know how you're doing but take it easy and it will come eventually...

Location: Misery... Uh, I mean Missouri... Moving to Germany in December '05

Posts: 73

Thanks everyone...

I drove 2 hours to go to a New Balance store that would measure my feet and look at my stride in order to find "the perfect shoe", but it wasn't all I expected. They couldn't really tell me if I pronated at all. The shoes I ended up with felt really good, but I still got shin splints. Then, I went to a large sports shoe specialty store about an hour and half from here (these trips take planning, lol). During that trip, I left with the new Nike running shoe that has the flex-springy things at the back of the shoe. Those were horrible! They are fine for daily errands, but I could hardly run in them.

Any suggestions on where I can go for a good fitting and examination of my pronating habits? I have a feeling it has to do with the shoe also because I have a high arch, narrow heel (causes slipping a lot), and very skinny ankles... I have chicken legs on the bottom... Will building up my leg (especially calf) muscles help with that?

I go to the Running Room.... I spent $250 there today , new Nike runners and a running jacket for the fall..... oh new socks too.... I love the Running Room...

My Orhopodist took a running gait analysis after he fitted me with orthotics and said I had perfect alignment with orthotics, although he didn't take the analysis before the orthotics... The orthotics cured my Morton's Neuroma which were making my toes go numb during running...

Okay, here are my two cents, as a person who has had foot problems for many years. I've had surgeries, I've worn casts, I've had shots, I've been through therapy, you name it. So, I suggest that if you can't find a good quality sports shoe store, you should go to a podiatrist or an osteopath who is a sports medicine specialist. My podiatrist is a marathon runner, so he knows all about feet, legs, walking, running, etc. He also fits shoes and can order them. Good luck!

Your foot sounds similar to mine. Is the toe end of your foot extra wide? If I got a wide width, it didn't fit my narrow heel. I finally found a pair that Foot Locker suggested at Lady Foot Locker. They were a specially wide Saucony shoe with a narrow heel and the stabilizer I mentioned. They were over $100. I've worn them so much that I can't begin to read the info. But it looks as if the first 3 numbers of the style are 813- something or other. They are white with grey, light blue and dark blue, with netting type material on the top. The outside of the tongue says 3D, overlayed with what looks like GP D. As long as I tried them out on the treadmill, I could always take them back if they didn't work for me. I went through several pairs that way before I found these. I've worn them out in places but am loathe to give them up for new ones as I might go through the same problems again.

Ilene, thanks for that link on pronation. Now I won't have to depend upon a shoe salesman who doesn't know anything about shoes. LOL I did the test of putting a pair of well worn shoes together and looking at eye level. It seems I'm an under-pronator. And the Saucony shoes I keep raving about appear to be just like the design of the New Balance shoes suggested on that site for under-pronating. Guess that's why they work so well for me.

Ilene, thanks for that link on pronation. Now I won't have to depend upon a shoe salesman who doesn't know anything about shoes. LOL I did the test of putting a pair of well worn shoes together and looking at eye level. It seems I'm an under-pronator. And the Saucony shoes I keep raving about appear to be just like the design of the New Balance shoes suggested on that site for under-pronating. Guess that's why they work so well for me.

Candy - I agree with what Ilene and Dinahgirl have suggested as far as seeing a medical specialist. I saw a physical therapist who specializes in sports medicine and offered a lecture to my running group. It was the best $125 I have spent since I started running. I have also started buying my shoes at a running store that stocks many brands where the employees are all dedicted runners. Knowledge is power! I have pronation and heel stability issues and my new shoes are Saucony Hurricane 7s. Additionally, the salesman showed me how to LACE the shoes to meet my specific problems. He was amazing and seemed to work hand-in-hand with the recommendations of the physical therapist, even though these were two separate visits. It seems running in a small community and all the locals experts know and respect each other. You do not need to do this on your own - there are professionals willing to help you.

Location: Misery... Uh, I mean Missouri... Moving to Germany in December '05

Posts: 73

Hey... Did anyone ever tell you guys that you are awesome? Thanks so much! I checked out the sites, and those were great... I will give it another go in a month or two, and if I still feel pain I will go see a doc. In the mean time, I am training on the elliptical in the hopes of improving a running type of endurance. Man those ellipticals are HARD WORK (for me anyway). My first time on it (last week), I could go only 5 minutes at low levels... Yesterday, I went 10 minutes at higher levels and it felt great! I am also spending at least 20 minutes on the bike and lots of walking. I hope that all of this will help me get into a running program soon!